When people think of the classic Disney film Mary Poppins; magic, a very interesting long word, and great dance numbers come to mind. But a subplot that I want to focus on is the Suffragette movement. Winifred Banks, the mother of the household is a suffragette and participates in the movement.
Winifred is a leader in the right for women to vote. She sings a song about how women are doing what they must now to help future generations of women. She sings “Our daughters daughters will adore us and they’ll sing in grateful chorus, Well done sister suffragette.” Winifred does not expect change to happen quickly, but is doing all she can. Throughout the film when she leaves the house it is always to do something to help “the cause”, as she calls it. Whether it is throwing spoiled eggs at the prime minister, leading the women through songs, or watching fellow peers chain themselves to buggies to show their dedication to the cause.
In the film, even though Winifred is wanting to change women's vote she is still living a traditional lifestyle. She goes from marching around the house, at one point, even lifting up her skirt as seen above. Then when her husband comes home she listens to him and responds with “Yes dear”. It shows the harsh contrast between a modern view of the world and what could be versus the role she should have. Winifred is a fictional character but the situation could have been true in many women’s lives. Women had to go against their husbands wishes because of what they believed and I am sure it made a hard situation for the women to be in.
Winifred tries to keep her cause prominent but then would not bring up her stances to her husband. She even asks the maids to hide her sashes so he will not see it. Until the last scene of the movie in which she brings out a sash to make it a tail for a kite. It is the first time we see Mr. Banks understand her views and he did not reprimand her. Winifred is a smaller character in the movie and does not have a lot of main screen time but she represents a large majority of women who wanted reform. And because of real women that Winifred Banks is based off of women now have the privilege to vote.The suffragettes changed the way the world is controlled, and it was truly inspirational to see a strong female character like that in Mary Poppins.
Image source: www.helenography.net
